Conservation Cast

Maya speaks with Dr. Robyn Miller and Connor O’Brian from American Eagle Foundation, who have 35 years of conservation education and rehabilitation experience as an organization.

During this special episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya collaborated once again with her friends from the American Eagle Foundation to raise funds for Nepal Vulture Restaurants in celebration of international vulture awareness day. Unlike traditional episodes of the podcast, Maya and Robin paint a King Vulture whilst discussing vultures in Nepal and the roles they play within their ecosystems. The trio informed viewers about the ongoing vulture crisis in Africa and Asia as well as how their donations will create a safe place for vultures to eat avoiding toxic substances such as Diclofenac. Connor gave a background on the administration of the anti-inflammatory medication given to cattle in the early 2000s, and how vulture’s ingestion of Diclofenac is thought to be the reason vulture populations have declined by 99% in Nepal and India. Throughout the painting, the three gave an array of facts and vulture knowledge, detailing the importance of vultures as ‘nature’s clean up crew’. Such facts included urohydrosis, vomiting for self-defense along with the misconceptions surrounding it, and their potent stomach acid enabling them to stop the spread of diseases like rabies. Viewers saw a live appearance of George, a 35-year-old turkey vulture who is an ambassador at AEF due to his inability to fly. Later in the podcast, Maya makes her first attempt at fecal matter identification, led by Connor and AEF’s rehabilitation director, Nancy.

American Eagle Foundation

Mayas community raised $2160 for the American Eagle Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 in Tennessee dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the Bald Eagle and other birds of prey.

Maya speaks with Jasmin Graham, a co-founder of the Minorities in Shark Sciences (MiSS) organization

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Jasmin explained her aim to help change the culture of marine science and shark science in particular and ways in which MiSS is going about making marine science inclusive. Jasmin shared her experiences of boat trips, summer camps and workshops set up and funded by MiSS, igniting a passion for children in low-income communities who don’t typically have access to such activities. Viewers were also taught about the significance of getting children excited about and involved in STEM.

Minorities in Shark Sciences

Maya’s community raised $1862.77 for Minorities in Shark Sciences, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting women of color that are interested in shark science. The organization is passionate about eliminating the financial barrier that has kept a lot of people of color out of marine science. The org was created as a direct result of the #BlackInNature hashtag on twitter, aiming to amplify the voices of women of color through building community and establishing a connection through meetings and collaborations.

Maya speaks with Dr. Robin Morrison, a postdoctoral researcher studying gorilla social behavior, social complexity, territoriality, and the evolution of cooperation.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Dr. Morrison about her studies into the social dynamics of gorillas within family groups, as well as the importance of gaining an understanding of such social behaviors. The two discussed where the more unusual social behaviors may come from, the benefits of cooperation found within the groups, and the connections which can be made to other animal and even human behaviors. Robin spoke of her work with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and how they have managed to involve local communities and the Rwandan government in helping to sustain the population of Gorillas. Robin also shared footage and photos from her visits to Rwanda, and educated viewers on their use of camera trap to identify and track gorilla populations.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

Maya’s community raised $1454.57 for The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, an organization that works with local governments and communities to study, protect, and aid in gorilla conservation throughout Africa.

Maya speaks with James, an anti-poaching conservationist living on one of South Africa’s largest reserves, accompanied by his multi-purpose anti-poaching canine, Puma.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with James about his roles on the South African reserve which he and his anti-poaching dog, Puma, live on. The two discussed how they provide research capability through having Puma track and monitor certain endangered or keystone species within the reserve. James explained how the data is used to get a better idea of the population density and how to go about management practices. Other points of discussion included the advantages of canines for anti-poaching methods, as well as how he became involved with the organization CRASH and what they aim to achieve.

CRASH Wildlife

Maya’s community raised $1405.95 for CRASH Wildlife, a non-profit organization that aims to address the issue of a lack of transparency in the way in which donations are used within wildlife organizations. Through partnering with other organizations, they may accurately track the use of incoming funds and ensure that each donation helps as many animals as possible with the minimum amount of overhead expense, waste, or abuse.

Maya speaks with Colleen Weiler, an expert on Southern resident orcas and author at Whale & Dolphin Conservation (WDC) USA.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Colleen about WDC’s dependency on individual donations as well as their Adopt a whale program, allowing those who adopt a specific whale to receive monthly updates on their sightings and wellbeing through tracking and identification. These check-ups also inform adoptees of what WDC is doing to help protect whales and dolphins and their homes. Colleen discussed her science background and the steps she took in order to get involved in the policy side of things, working on laws and regulations that can either protect or help recover endangered populations. Collen answered an array of viewer-sent questions such as how WDC helps to bring an end to captivity as well as how they prevent whaling on a global scale.

Whale and Dolphin Conservation

Maya’s community raised $1800 in support of WDC, a non-profit organization dedicated solely to the worldwide conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

Maya speaks with Andrew Schulz, an Elephant and Panda physicist and mechanical engineer who had a previous appearance on the podcast in which he spoke about his research into elephant trunk physics.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Andrew discussed his organization of choice, Conservify, detailing their significance within the field of conservation technology as well as giving an in-depth explanation of the organization’s aims with their open-source Field Kits. Other points of discussion included the successes of drone usage within conservation,  re-identification using facial recognition, and Conservation X Labs. The two were later joined by Connor from American Eagle Foundation and Dr. Michael Dobbins to discuss promising technological innovations in conservation.

Conservify

Maya’s community raised $2051.01 in support of Conservify, a non-profit organization that seeks to empower conservationists and communities by lowering the barriers to entry for effective conservation. Conservify provides platforms, apps, and connected conservation devices in order to build an open conservation community within conservation technology.

Maya speaks with Laura Kojima, a herpetologist who studies alligator ecotoxicology and behavior at the University of Georgia.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Laura Kojima about the field of ecotoxicology and what the data collection process involves. Viewers were taught about the issues faced by reptiles and amphibians as a result of various human activities as well as their importance in our natural and cultural heritage. Other points of discussion included the comeback of American Alligators through the Endangered Species Act of 1969, highlighting the importance of supporting conservation organizations that strive to replicate similar success in other species.

Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

Maya’s community raised $1015.34 for the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, an organization dedicated to the conservation of herpetofauna and their habitats. Envisioning a society where amphibians and reptiles are valued for their importance and are considered in all conservation and land management decisions.

Maya speaks with Jordan Veasley, a zookeeper and content creator who focuses on wildlife conservation education.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Jordan Veasley about his journey to becoming a zookeeper in a field lacking diversity and his efforts to inspire a similar passion for zookeeping in people of color through his social media presence. The two also discussed the importance of zoos and the role they have in the world for conservation and education as well as the misconceptions surrounding them. Jordan answered viewer questions ranging from his goals for education through social media to the ramifications of COVID-19 for zoos. The donations raised were sent to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, who is currently involved in giraffe conservation initiatives in 15 African countries.

Giraffe Conservation Foundation

Maya’s community raised $1660 for the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, an organization dedicated to securing a future for all giraffe populations through concentrating solely on the conservation and management of giraffes in the wild throughout Africa.

Maya speaks with Kassandra Ford, a biologist who studies the craniofacial morphology of electric fishes from South America and Africa.

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Kassandra Ford about what defines an electric fish, adaptations that electric fish have developed, and how Kassandra’s academic journey led her to study electric fish species. Kassandra answered many viewer questions regarding misconceptions that electric fish face. The two also had a discussion about the importance of diversity and representation in the conservation field and how Kassandra aspires to be an inspiration to people of color in academia. Kassandra taught viewers about what they can do as individuals to support people of color on social media and in their own lives. The donations raised were sent to the Amazon Conservation Association, an organization that is dedicated to promoting conservation within the Amazon rainforest by working with local communities to inspire them to protect their local environment.

Amazon Conservation Association

Maya’s community raised $1513 for the Amazon Conservation Association, an organization that is dedicated to promoting conservation within the Amazon rainforest by working with local communities to inspire them to protect their local environment.

Maya speaks with Lizzie Daly, a wildlife videographer and filmmaker, BBC wildlife presenter, and a host for National Geographic’s “Meet the Expert.”

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Lizzie Daly about her experiences filming projects for BBC, National Geographic, and for her own independent Youtube channel. Lizzie answered viewer questions about the daily life of a wildlife videographer and the importance of the patient work that filmmakers put into their projects in regards to conservation education. The two discussed how COVID has affected Lizzie’s work and how she continues to engage in her work despite being unable to travel. The donations raised were sent to Black Girls Dive, an organization designed to empower young girls and women of color to explore their stem identities by engaging in aquatic-based STEM activities and become leaders in conservation.

 Black Girls Dive

Maya’s community raised $1506 for Black Girls Dive, an organization designed to empower young girls and women of color to explore their stem identities by engaging in aquatic-based STEM activities and become leaders in conservation.